The Yankees will had Hughes the ball in Game 3 in Detroit on Tuesday night. He’ll be opposed by Tigers ace Justin Verlander. A tall task, indeed.

“He’s a great pitcher -- obviously he’s had a great season, he’s their No. 1 guy,” Hughes said of Verlander. “Obviously we’re not in the position we want to be, but it’s a big game and I’ve got to step up, do the best job I can and help us get a win.”

Hughes, 26, has been pretty much hit-or-miss for the Yankees this year. During the regular season he went 16-13 with a 4.23 ERA. In Game 3 of the ALDS against Baltimore, he threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball.

“I’m just gonna try to do all I can, which is throw one pitch at a time, and not worry about anything,” Hughes said. “Just focus on what I can do, and that’s pitch.”

Verlander is ranked in the top five in the American League in several categories. In two ALDS starts, he went 2-0 with an otherworldly 0.56 ERA.

The Yankees have scored just four runs so far in this series -- all of them coming against Tigers closer Jose Valverde in the ninth inning of Game 1.

“It’s definitely not an ideal situation. You’d rather be up 2-0 and facing a Triple-A pitcher. That would be nice,” Alex Rodriguez joked.

So yeah, Hughes has his work cut out for him.

UP NOW: Wallace Matthews' and Ian O’Connor’s columns off Game 2. Matt Ehalt has you covered in the blog.

ON DECK: The Yankees have an off day on Monday. But there should be plenty to come from their conference calls, so stay tuned. And, as always, thanks for reading.